Audio Perspectives
by Dreamer of All
Summary: Bella's class was given an interesting assignment: interview people with one question. The question? If you could live forever, what do you live for?
1. Assignment

1

**1. An Interesting Project**

"…and so I have to ask 5 or more people what they would live for if they could live forever." I explained to Edward. In our one class apart, we had just been given that odd, and rather fitting, assignment.

"Who are you going to ask?"

"I figure Esme, Carlisle, Rose, Emmett, Alice, Jasper, and you. Why?"

A laugh graced me for my answer. "You're asking people who _can_ live forever what they would live for if they could live forever? Seriously, Bella?"

I frowned, feeling a bit rejected by the one man who said he would love me forever. Literally. "Yes, Edward, is that a problem?"

"No…it's just a little ironic, don't you think?"

"Maybe. A bit. Possibly….yes. But I'm still doing it."

He laughed again, though not as loud as before. "That's my girl."


	2. Esme

**Esme**

My first interviewee was going to be Esme. I figured if I interviewed her first, everyone else would know about it all and not look at me like I was crazy – although Rose certainly still thought so, now that the date I was giving up my humanity was set. I sat silently the entire drive from school to Edward's – and my - house, thinking over how to make this work. I'd already thrown out the idea of doing a video, knowing that I was bound to break even the most durable camcorder. So, I was going to use a tape recorder. If I told everyone beforehand not to say anything that might give them away, even the tiniest bit, then all would be well. Right?

"Hello, everyone!" I called softly as Edward and I came through the garage door. "We're home!"

Esme was there instantly. "Alice already told me you wanted to talk to me." She smiled, ushering Edward away from the kitchen. "Now, do you want anything?" Since I'd already moved into the house to prepare for the wedding, Esme had the cupboards stocked for my last human weeks.

I reached up into the nearest one before she could get to it. "I got it, Esme. Just grabbing some cookies."

She frowned, looking always motherly. "I really shouldn't be letting you eat those things, but since it'll only be for a little while longer…"

I laughed a little, settling next to her at the counter. "So…for school I need to ask people one question."

"And that is…?"

"Well, before I can ask you, I need to let you know that I have to use a tape recorder for this. Everything we say will be recorded and I have no way of altering anything."

She nodded in understanding. "No slip-ups. Easy enough. So, Bella dear, what's the question?"

"If you could live forever, what would you live for?"

She was silent for many minutes, a look of intense concentration on her perfect features. "Hm," she finally said, "it's a hard question. Maybe because I don't know what it's like to _not_ live forever, maybe because it really is a difficult question." She smiled at me, hugging me close. "Maybe, to live forever, it would be for this – a family that loves each other, despite circumstances.

"A family that, although they used to know nothing about each other, can come together and is now than many other families that wish they could tell each other everything.

"I guess the bottom line is, to live forever you need to have the people you care most about with you. Without them, if they died, you'd be an empty shell of yourself. You wouldn't want to live forever."

I wiped a lone tear that fell from my face. "Thank you, Esme…Mom." I whispered, clicking the recorder off.

**AN: Dedicated to my loyal reader (at least I THINK it's the same person) who has reviewed twice as '****anonymous'. I finished it as quick as I could! Sorry about how late it's been! I've been so busy with the Quote of the Day stuff…well, here it is!**


	3. Emmett

After tears were wiped away and more hugs shared, Emmett came bounding into the living room. "My turn, Bella?" His face was so eager and hopeful – how could I say no? Interviewing Carlisle would have to wait.

"Okay, Em. Come over here," I gestured to the seat that Esme had just left. He plopped down next to me, the couch groaning in protest. I explained again about not giving anything away and I had to use the audio just as he said it.

"Emmett Cullen is our next subject. Emmett," I now addressed him, "if you could live forever, what would you live for?"

There was a second of shock on his face. Obviously, Alice had told him the assignment was a lot different than what it really was. He shook his head once and I could almost see the cogs in his brain. "Bella…" he laughed quietly under his breath. "What an interesting question. Hm…did I tell you about when I was attacked by that bear?"

I panicked for a second, groping around my tape recorder for the power button. Emmett's hand came down gently on mine and he quietly shook his head. _It's okay, I know what I'm doing_, he mouthed to me. "Yes, Emmett, I remember that." I finally said, concerned for his mental well-being.

"I thought Carlisle was God and Rose was one of his closest angels. _Surely I'm dead_, I remember thinking. There was no way people as good and pure-seeming could exist anywhere other than heaven.

"I was in pain, sure, but Carlisle did his best to ease me through it. Getting almost clawed to death by a grizzly tends to make a body hurt some, no matter how tough they think they are. So I screamed through the pain, trying to make it stop. Throughout all of it, all I can remember that was consistent – besides the pain – was Rosalie's face.

"I would live forever if I could live on her face alone. Her face, her voice, her laugh, her eyes…all of them could sustain me for the rest of eternity. I would live forever if I had Rose with me for all of it. A moment without her in eternity…I would die. If she left, or something happened to her, I would cease to exist. Emmett Cullen would not be the 'big teddy bear' you all seem to love."

I wrapped an arm around Emmett's – which was easily as big around as my waist – and squeezed it. "Thanks, Emmett. I think I understand a part of you I've not seen before."

**-- -- --**

**AN: And, again, I have to dedicate this to my loyal (and **_**still **_**anonymous) reviewer. Hey, person, you should get an account, so then these chapters can actually be dedicated to a real name. Dedicated to because: I needed to write more of this. I've been neglecting my Twilight lovelies, and you gave me the push (again) to continue this. Thanks!**


	4. Carlisle

A few days passed before I got a chance to talk to Carlisle. The hospital was full of people. "It's the ice," Carlisle explained one night as we all sat down to 'dinner', me the only one eating. "People are slipping on it, getting surprised by black ice…it's one of the worse seasons in any hospital in the country right now."

He abruptly fell silent, refusing to meet Esme's inquiring gaze. "I need to go hunt." He flew out of the house at full vampire speed. Edward and Jasper stood up to go after him, but Alice and I both tugged them back into their seats. It seemed taboo to ask what was wrong with him.

"He needs this." Alice said, a sad gleam to her eye. "He needs to be alone to think."

That didn't mean I wasn't going to ambush him when he got back.

:

And ambush I did. I sat on the porch steps for 3 hours, waiting for Carlisle to come sneaking in like a kid past curfew. "Hello, Carlisle." I said from the shadows, standing up to kiss him on the cheek. "Is this a good time for my interview with you?"

"…Sure, Bella, dear. Better now than never, eh?"

I took his hand and led him into the living room, where all my stuff was 'miraculously' already set up. "Thank you, Edward," I mouthed towards the stairs where I saw his topaz eyes glittering with understanding. He smiled and disappeared.

Again I told him how everything would be taped, but I could tell he wasn't really listening whole-heartedly like Emmett had. "I understand," was his only response as he sprawled across a lounge chair across from my perch on the couch.

"Carlisle Cullen. A prominent man in society, an acclaimed doctor, my father-in-law. Here is my exclusive interview." I heard a chuckle from Carlisle and too-late realized I had used my reporter voice. "So, heh, um…Carlisle, I only have one question for you."

"And that is…?" He prompted as I froze up.

"Oh! If you could live forever, what would you live for?"

Now it was his turn to freeze up. "Is there not some other question you could ask me, Isabella?" he asked through clenched teeth. A quick wave of calm rolled into the room, and I silently thanked the heavens for Jasper's gift.

I shook my head, apology upon apology forming on my tongue.

He let out a breath he didn't need to take, let alone hold. "It's…complicated."

"I have all the time you need." _Gosh_, I thought, _I'm starting to sound like Alice_.

He was silent for another long moment. When he spoke, he sounded as old as he chronologically was. "I had a friend when we lived in Chicago the second time, before Alice and Jasper joined us. His name was Freddie Abbey. He worked alongside me when I met Edward, and we briefly met up back in Chicago where he had chosen to stay all those years before. He had a beautiful new wife, Sophia, and were looking to adopt the same way as Esme and I.

"He had us over for dinner one night, then out to a show at the local theater. He insisted that we take his Jeep, since they had picked us up. I didn't know why, but took the keys he tossed to me with a grin. We got there before them and took our seats, thinking nothing of it. By the last curtain call, we were worried. I took out my phone and tried to call, but there was nothing. No ringing, no dial tone, no nothing.

"I was out of my mind. Esme ran back to our house, a block or so away from the theater, and took our other car. We split the city in half, wandering up and down every street we saw, trying to find Freddie and Sophia.

"We found nothing. Eventually, both in tears, we realized it was useless and went home. The next morning, Freddie's brother Samson showed up on our doorstep. 'Freddie's dead,' he told us. 'Him and Sopia were in a nasty accident, and the car blew up; destroying both bodies.'

"We all sat together in our grief, no one knowing what to do. We could go to the Volturi, an old family friend of both Freddie's and mine, but what could they do? Validate what we already knew? It wouldn't help.

"Because I knew what happened. Freddie had misplaced his trust in Aro, a member of the Volturi clan, and had been manipulated and tricked until he didn't know which end was up. Esme and I were meant to be in the other car, _we_ were the ones they meant to kill."

He paused, and I didn't know what to say. Through the flimsy covering, I could tell the whole story and how Carlisle felt about it all, though he kept a toneless voice through it all. It was Emmett. The Volturi were mad about all the people Carlisle had changed already and another one put them over the edge. They used Freddie Abbey as a puppet, nothing more than someone to help them.

"He died to save us." Carlisle's voice was no louder than a whisper. "I think that's why I would want to be immortal, in a sense. So I could 'die' to save the people I love, but still be there afterwards to help them pick up the pieces."

I was sitting rapt in my chair, waiting for him to continue, when he abruptly stood up. "Bed time, Bella," voice suddenly filled with happiness and rainbows. I clicked off the recorder, waiting for him to say anything more.

When he didn't, I hugged him before opening Edward's door. "Thank you, Carlisle. _Dad_."

He hugged me back, love beaming through his eyes. "My pleasure, daughter."

I paused as I pulled away. "There was black ice that night, wasn't there?" He nodded, and I gave his hand a quick squeeze before sliding into Edward's room.

Sleep overcame me, and one face from my dreams stayed with me the next day. I found Carlisle's old college 'yearbook' things. Sure enough, the face was that of Fredrick Abbey.

**-- -- --**

**AN: Okay, well, this one goes out to my ****anonymous**** buddy (I'm going to start calling you Abby, since you're my ****a****nonymous ****b****uddy. AB you know. Please tell me if you're a guy so I can change it if need be)…The last review you wrote me moved me to tears. Whatever your situation may be, I'm here. My stories are here to give you strength, my words to lend to you. It feels so great to know that one story, one story I stared on a whim one day, has affect someone so greatly. Based on your review, I brought to life a story of Carlisle's that wasn't seen. Something I could see him go through. Please feel free to write the longest review you want. I have all the time in the world for people that need it. **

**My thoughts are with you, and if you want it I will start an entirely new story or one-shot just for you. Leave details in a review. I think I would call it "Au Revior, My Friend." :)**

**X**

**Your "Brilliant" Friend**


	5. Rosalie

Although it was going to be uncomfortable and weird, I told myself the next person I would interview would be Rosalie. We still weren't on the best of terms, nor did I ever imagine we would be, but I knew that reaching out to her for this project would be a good move. I had no delusions that this would make us as close as me and Alice, but I hoped that it would make her like me even just a bit more.

We spent two long hours watching Edward and Emmett playing the newest edition to the Cullen's stash of video games. As usual there were plenty of threats made, exactly four controllers destroyed, and even more havoc wrecked on Edward's mind (or so he told me. Apparently Emmett had tried to block him out of his mind by singing 'Barbie Girl' in Swedish). Obviously needing a break, I turned to Rosalie. "Hey, Rose…? Could I interview you now?"

Since everyone already knew about the project, thanks to Alice, she wasn't a bit surprised at my request. "Upstairs then," she responded with a curt nod.

We trudged up stairs, stopping outside her room. She opened it quickly, stepping over the threshold. When I hesitated, she allowed herself a brief smile. "And everyone says that vampires have to be invited in," she muttered, grabbing my arm and pulling me in with her. "It's really okay, Bella. I don't bite."

Rosalie's room was glorious, as to be expected. The walls were covered in a dusty rose while the entryway was painted a light gold. The huge wall of windows that extended through the whole house replaced the headboard of her large bed, making it seem as though she slept in the middle of the surrounding forest.

She sat on the beautiful, ethereal bed, gesturing me to her. Seeing her there only added to her appeal, I though. I took another hesitant step, adjusting my steps to the richness of the carpet. Rose flopped back against the pillows as I sat down, tugging me down with her. At my startled "Eeep," she grinned.

"So, what exactly are the 'rules' for this thing?"

I shrugged against the golden pillowcase. "Nothing about the vampire part of your life, but as close as you want. Emmett brought up being mauled by the bear and you and Carlisle saving him, so…however far you want."

She rolled her eyes. "_So_ like him. Always gotta show how macho he is." Rose turned her head towards me, giggling a bit under her breath. "Didn't surprise you at all, did he? Just living on his macho manliness for eternity?"

"Actually, no," I said, a bit startled. I figured she would have known the depth of his feelings for her. "He talked about only being able to live forever if you were at his side throughout it. He said life wouldn't be worth living without you."

Her laughter quickly subsided into mute shock. "What?"

"It's true." Seeing that she didn't believe me, I offered up the tape recorder. "Do you want to watch it?"

Rose nodded, reaching towards me. After a moment of listening silently, she looked like she would cry if only she could. "I love him so much," she whispered under her breath. "So, so much…" Turning to me, she suddenly looked determined. "Bella, let's do this before I forget what I want to say."

I took it from her outstretched hand and quietly got ready. "In three…two…one…go."

Hesitating only the slightest, Rosalie began. "When I grew up, it was in a small town. I was the prettiest girl there, and everyone in the town told me every chance they got. 'Oh, Rosie, you're adorable!' or 'Rose, some man will be lucky to have you one day'. I grew up as a pampered princess. After…certain unpleasant events…I found myself in Carlisle's family. Already Edward was with them, and I was the second child they adopted. But it wasn't enough.

"For what is life without love? I lost my parents, my whole family, everything because of that horrid…fire. I really thought there was nothing left in this world for me.

"Then along comes Emmett," here she shook her head, smiling as she remembered. "Stupid oaf has the great sense to provoke a _bear_ of all things, and luckily for him I was there to help. Still don't know how I got that bear to leave, but I got Emmett away and to help.

"The look on his face when he woke up – pure happiness at being alive, confusion and love – that's what made me love him. And, this is going to sound cheesy, but that's something I could live forever on. Forget the admirers of my youth, forget all that petty nothingness. All I need is him."

Since I could tell she was done, I turned off my recorder and looked up into her eyes. "Bella," she began, as if not sure how to continue her thought. "Why are you doing this?"

It was obvious what she meant. Giving up my mortality to become a 'monster'. "I love him. I'm not going to say it's like you and Emmett-"

She cut me off. "It is, Bella, it is. We've all seen how you two look at each other. It make me want to brush my teeth some days, what with all the sugary sweetness."

It occurred to me just then that she had been joking with me this whole time. "Rose, how do things stand between us?" I asked.

It took a moment for her to figure out her answer, but when she spoke it surprised me. "We were never really that bad, Bella. I just…I could never figure out why anyone would _want_ this life, let alone consciously chose it. There are days when I would give anything to be mortal again, have children, grow old, die…but you. You're just going to give that up. For Edward. So…things stand good with us. I think of you as part of the family now, my sister."

"That means a lot, Rose."

She smiled her trademark grin. "I know."

**--- --- ---**

**AN: Hey, Abby! (and everyone else – don't think I've forgotten you!)**

**I am so, so incredibly sorry it has taken so long to get this up. If you've noticed, I haven't updated in FOREVER. I apologize; my internet has been going crazy for the last few months, and I didn't want to risk spreading anything to other computers (like at the library or school) with a thumbdrive. (That would be why I haven't updated **_**anything **_**in so long.)**

**I went through and re-read all the lovely and heart-felt reviews you left me in the past, and it provided the extra shove I needed to finish up Rosalie's part. I had a first draft sitting around for a while, just begging to be edited and posted. Until recently, I hadn't had the opportunity to do so, but now it's back!**

**I hope you're still around, watching for this next bit. And I pray that you are doing well. I've missed our review-AN conversations. :3**

**Here's to hoping you're still here!**

**X**

**addy**


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